This invention relates to the total synthesis of the antibiotic 6-hydroxymethyl-2-(.beta.-aminoethylthio)-1-carbadethiapen-2-em-3-carboxyl ic acid (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof, which are disclosed and claimed in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 933,681 filed Aug. 17, 1978, now abandoned, which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that it discloses the utility of I as an antibiotic in animal and human therapy and in inanimate systems. ##STR3##
This invention also relates to certain intermediates which are useful in the synthesis of I.